The Third Time Is The Charm

This story is about my three marriages and I show pictures of my wedding days. Well with the first wedding photo in 1971, the photographer didn't show up, so the photos were taken a couple of days later, some things in the photo are different than the day of the wedding.

This story is starting with the most recent marriage first.

In November of 2004, I had just started a new job. When I told my supervisor that I was engaged and planning to be married he said, "Do you think you could get married before the new year?" I thought, is he crazy? Then I thought, well maybe.

The legislative session starts the first of the year and he thought perhaps I could be called to testify. I never was called in the 12 years that I was there.

This was the number three wedding for me. I had already been married twice and had planned weddings that were fairly large actually. I didn't need another one of those. So much stress and money involved. Then I talked to my fiance and he said, "Let's elope!"

When it got close to that day, and maybe it was that day, we told our kids what we were doing and seven of them wanted to be there and two couldn't be there. So we had five of our children there at our wedding.

One son was working and it was too late notice. Another son was leaving the state and couldn't make it.

Our plan was to be married by a friend of mine in her church. We didn't plan anything other than leaving for Texas on the 25th. Our family was gathering for Christmas on Christmas Eve at that time. We went to Perkins for our reception. Well, a meal anyway. It was great.

We had a great time! Probably better than if we would have taken more time to plan it! Our honeymoon was in Texas with a stop at the in-law's winter home and we visited my brother and his family, who also live in Texas.

John and I are living happily ever after! The third time is the charm. This year in December, we will celebrate 18 years of marriage.

I was divorced from my previous husband after ten years of marriage! Our children were in the wedding below.

Doug and I were married for ten years. Our children were raised and on their own when we divorced. We were very good parents together. We raised three fine children. My two children were in the 4th and 6th grades when we met and started our relationship. His son was in the 8th grade.

We had some great times and great years together. No regrets.

I was married to my first husband when I was seventeen. We were engaged when I was 16. We were married on November 1, 1971. We were together for 15 years. We had two children, a girl born shortly after I turned 21 and a son born when I was 24 years old.

He was a good dad and loved his children. He died from his addiction in 1993. He was remarried with a daughter at the time of his death. He had a total of five children. No regrets. We had great children together!

To date the wedding party has some losses, my bridesmaid on the far left and my sister have died from cancer and his brother, the groomsman on the far right died from a blood infection, and of course the man I married.

I was with my first husband for 15 years, my second husband for 13 years and my current husband and I will have been together for 22 years in November. I have been with a husband for 50 years altogether and I am 68. I guess this means I must enjoy marriage!